You should not have done that
by WritingReadingLaughing
Summary: Different events to the Sword in the Stone pt 2. Merlin reveals his magic through memories after a tragedy occurs. Merlin must use his magic to win the war with Morgana. No Slash. Please R&R  Only my second fic. Spoilers later in fic. Complete!
1. Chapter 1

**This is my second fic ever so please give it a chance. I rewrote it as Hallaromen pointed out some stuff (Thanks alot!) This story has been running through my head for ages and I only just got the chance to write it down. This is my version of what should have happened in the last episode of Season 4. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin  
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><p>Agravaine held out his hand for Merlin to shake. Merlin immediately raised his own hand, ready to use his magic if he needed to. Agravaine stopped moving and slowly backed away. Then suddenly without warning, Agravaine threw a dagger at something behind Merlin's back. It went wide of the Warlock so Merlin didn't do anything about it. Until it hit someone. Merlin heard the scream before he saw his mother lying on the ground, with a dagger in her stomach. His mind blurred. <em>Why was his mother here, in the caves and tunnels near Ealdor? <em>He thought, before he sensed Arthur's traitorous uncle sneaking up behind him. Merlin held out his hand.

"You should not have done that." He stated. Before Agravaine could do anything, he was flying backwards and was dead before he hit the ground. Grabbing his sword, Merlin stabbed Agravaine to be sure. Then he ran to his mother. She was dying, and there was nothing that he could do.

"I'm sorry, Mother. I'm so sorry."

"You have nothing to be sorry for, Merlin." She smiled weakly.

"I met him Mother. Two years ago I met Balinor. He died."

"You met him. I'm glad."

"I'll miss you." Merlin managed to say, before he felt tears rolling down his face, and sobs rising in his chest.

"You are much a good son." And she closed her eyes peacefully and died. Merlin couldn't contain his grief any longer. He had lost nearly everyone he cared about. Will, Freya, Lancelot, his father and now his mother. All dead.

Merlin didn't know how much time he spent there, sitting on the cold stone floor, hugging his mother's body and crying his heart out.

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><p>Gwen looked at the faces around her. Leon, Gwaine, Percival, her brother Elyan and Arthur. Each one tense and unwilling to move. Merlin had gone off to distract Morgana's soldiers and told them to stay there and not move. He had grown up around these tunnels and knew his way through them. They had all been reluctant but something had told them to do as he said.<p>

Suddenly Gwen heard cries echo through the underground passageways. They all jumped up and strained their ears. Gwen could faintly hear Merlin's cries and so could the others. With Arthur in the lead, they made their way through the maze of tunnels, getting closer with every pace. Gwen bumped into her brother Elyan as they encountered another dead end.

"Sorry." She mumbled as they backtracked to the last tunnel crossing. Gwen was about to follow the others when she stopped. There was a smaller, narrower tunnel that was well concealed. Merlin's sobs could clearly be heard as they bounced around the walls.

"Wait. What about down here?" The serving girl asked. The knights came back carrying torches.

"It's worth a shot." Gwaine remarked and pushed his way into the tunnel. The others shrugged and filed in one by one. They walked through the narrow passageway for ten minutes, before it opened into a long and wide cave with a low ceiling. They could all see Merlin now, huddled over a figure and crying. Gwaine was moving forward to try and comfort him. Gwen pulled him back and gave him her torch. Signaling to the others to stay back, Gwen walked up to and placed a hand gently on his shoulder. Her friend jumped and looked up into her face. She had never seen him cry that much in her life. Gwen knelt down and put her arm around his shoulders. Gently pulling him away from the body so that she could see who it was, she gasped. Hunith's face was clearly visible in the flickering torch light.

"Oh…Merlin! I'm so sorry Merlin." She gave him a hug which seemed to make him cry even more. She let him

"Merlin. Arthur and the others are here." Merlin looked at them for the first time and they could all see the despair and sadness in his normally bright blue eyes. The warlock nodded and Arthur moved forward. Gwen too was in tears. Merlin backed away slightly so that Arthur and the knights could see.

Once Arthur saw who it was, he understood why Merlin was so sad. Hunith was one of the most gentle people that you could ever meet. She didn't deserve to die by violence.

"Who is Merlin? What happened?" Percival asked. Merlin wanted to answer but couldn't find the words. In the end it was Arthur who answered the question.

"It's Hunith. Merlin's mother. I don't know what happened." And then to the knights he whispered so quietly that Merlin couldn't hear him.

"And now might not be the best time to ask."

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><p><strong>Hope you like it. I will update when I get some reviews... *Hint...Hint*<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

**Second chapter. Thanks a lot to those who reviewed. I really appreciate it. Sorry if it's a bit fast-paced (That's the way I write) The first few chapters are going to be a bit shorter, but I am planning on having some more action and longer chapters be chapter 4. Bear with me and enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Merlin. Does. NOT. Belong. To. Me.**

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><p>Merlin was quiet the whole walk to the forest of Ascetir. The other knights didn't play jokes or make remarks at him. They could all sense a change in their favorite manservant. He walked far in front of them, never stopping, never breaking pace. Only when it got so dark to see where to go and Merlin tripped and fell did Gwaine finally think that enough was enough and forced the boy to sit down.<p>

"Merlin. We know that your angry. We know your upset. But what are you going to do on an empty stomach and no sleep." Merlin said nothing, so they made camp for the night.

They had buried Merlin's mother at the mouth of one of the tunnels with a view of the surrounding mountains and forests. Gwaine had noticed that Merlin had been glad to leave the caves and head back to Camelot. It was understandable that he didn't want to stay where his mother had died for long. It would bring back painful memories. Yet, it seemed as if Merlin was already suffering, suffering in silence. And the more Gwaine thought about it the more certain he became. It had been a while since he had seen Merlin as his former, happy-go-lucky self.

Gwaine made a mental note to ask Merlin what was troubling him in the morning and lay back, his red cloak acting as a blanket against the cool night air.

The next morning, Merlin was the first one up, and had gotten breakfast ready. Everyone was very surprised as Merlin was usually the last one to wake up. They ate in silence, each with their own thoughts and feelings and soon the broke camp and continued their walk. They left what had been Cenred's kingdom and re-entered Camelot territory. Arthur wandered the forest for an hour before finding a strategic spot to camp.

Merlin was sent to go collect firewood while the others looked after the food and water. Moving further from the camp then he needed to, he was ambushed by four of Morgana's men. They wore the Camelot crest but instead of the normal red and gold, they sported orange and black. Grabbing the longest piece of wood from what he had collected, Merlin dropped the rest and faced the oncoming men. Checking that no one was around, Merlin's eyes flashed gold and one of the soldiers tripped on nothing and knocked himself unconscious. They other three stopped and stared at him, giving the Warlock a chance to bash another one around the head and grab the soldier's sword. The other two rushed him, one swinging wildly at his head. Managing to parry the stroke and keep the sword in his hands. Merlin murmured at his opponents sword.

"Ahatian." Merlin watched as the man's face turned in to a mask of pain and dropped the sword that had heated up by Merlin's magic. Taking his chance, Merlin slashed at his side. The soldier dropped to his knees and died. Suddenly, Merlin felt a blow at the side of his head. Last thing that went through his mind was the thought that he was an idiot. He had forgotten about the last soldier.

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><p>Gwaine pushed the last of Morgana's men away with his foot and stood over Merlin. The blow to his head was bleeding slightly and the servant was out cold. Kneeling down, Gwaine picked the boy up and was amazed by how little he weighed. Gwaine added another note to his Ask Merlin list. Figure out how much he ate. When he walked back into camp, Arthur was the first on his feet.<p>

"What happened to the idiot? Did he knock himself out?"

"Morgana's men are everywhere. He was attacked by four. He managed to knock out two and kill one before the forth punched him. With the hilt of a sword judging by the mark."

"He managed to knock two people unconscious and kill another." Arthur asked, disbelief clear in his voice. Leon bent down to examine him.

"We need to wake him up some how. Any ideas?" They all suggested something.

"Slap him."

"Throw water over him."

"Just let him wake up on his own."

"Threaten him with endless chores unless he wakes up."

"I agree with Percival. We should let him wake up when he wants to." But in the end Gwen's suggestion was the best. Checking through her bag, she found a small tin cylinder, half-full with a sort of powder.

"We need to light a fire and get this to smoke. I remember Gaius using it once." Soon they had it smoking and Gwen held it to his nose. The effect was instantaneous.

"Phaww! What is that?" Merlin was already on his knees holding his head and glaring at Gwen, who smiled mischievously and showed it to him briefly before putting it away.

"Gwen. You're a genius." Gwaine was all smiles when he saw his friend conscious again. After helping Merlin to sit down without falling over, Gwaine punched him lightly on the arm.

"Come on mate, you can tell us how you managed to take on three people at once."

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><p>Merlin groaned as he heard Gwaine say that. He didn't want to talk right now. His head was throbbing and he didn't know what to say. Thankfully, he didn't have to. All attention left him as soon as a person stumbled into the camp.<p>

He was a old man, with white hair and a red robe. There was an arrow sticking out of his shoulder. There was a moment of silence before Merlin's scream filled the air.

"Gaius!"

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><p><strong>Hope you liked it. Next chapter they are going to start amassing an army. I am going to try and get at least 4 reviews per chapter before I update, so the more you review, the faster the updates. (Hopefully…)<strong>

**P.S. There is a good website that lists all of the spells Merlin uses throughout all the series. Just search up Merlin wiki spells and it should be the first link.  
><strong>


	3. Chapter 3

**Still not much excitement but I prefer to write shorter chapters and update quicker. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: The only thing that I own is the story that I wrote. Merlin belongs to the BBC.**

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><p>Once the shock of seeing a starving and injured Gaius had worn off, Leon and Percival had immediately carried the old man closer to the fire and made him more comfortable. Gwaine had gotten him some blankets. Elyan, who know something about arrow wounds, checked Gaius's shoulder while Arthur tried to discover what had happened. Merlin just sat there in disbelief. He could sense that the wound was poisoned and that his friend didn't have long to live. He couldn't bear the thought of losing another person that he cared about. Fate was a fickle master and had taken everyone from him. When Merlin finally got over the shock, Gaius was sleeping and Arthur was discussing their next move.<p>

"We need more men. We can't take back Camelot with only us." He was saying.

"When Morgana attacked, many knights and commoners fled to these woods. If we found them and they knew that you were alive, they would help us." Leon replied.

"Yes. We set off at dawn in pairs. Elyan and Percival, you head north. Leon, Gwaine head south. Merlin and I will head east, towards Camelot."

"What about Gaius? We can't leave him here on his own."

"He won't live that long." Everyone jumped as Merlin sat down with them. "He won't make until dawn."

"How can you be so sure?" Percival asked. "The old man is stronger then he looks."

"Not even the strongest can withstand a poisoned arrow. Not even Gaius." The servant glanced at his sleeping mentor. "What did he tell you?"

"Not much. Said that a knight helped him escape but was killed before he could tell Gaius his name. He was shot by an arrow and only just evaded them. Seeing the smoke from our campfire he headed this way and found us." The prince concluded.

"I think that we should get some sleep. Who wants first watch?"

"I'll take it." Merlin said, staring in to the flames. The other knights looked at each other before Gwaine offered second watch and Arthur third. The others slowly wandered of to find somewhere to sleep, while Merlin went to sit with Gaius. The old man looked frail and venerable compared to when Merlin had last seen him. When the others were all asleep and the only noise was the crackling of the fire and Arthur's snores, Merlin sent a mental message to Gaius. _I'm sorry Gaius. I wish that I could save you. I'm going to tell Arthur about my gift soon and I wish that you could be there. Goodbye Gaius. _Merlin didn't know whether he could hear him but it gave the warlock some consolation that Gaius could. It wasn't long before Merlin didn't hear Gaius draw another breath. He felt tears pricking at his eyes and wiped them away. His mentor looked so peaceful, lying by the fire with a content smile on his face.

When the fire began to burn low from lack of fuel, Merlin awoke Gwaine for his shift. The knight seemed to know without saying anything.

"He died, didn't he?" Merlin just nodded.

"It's time for your shift. Wake Elyan next." Then Merlin lay down and slept before his friend could say anything more.

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><p>It was just before dawn when Merlin woke up. Leon was the only one awake as he had taken last watch.<p>

"Good morning Merlin. If this could be considered a good morning." The knight nodded at the body of Gaius.

"He died during my watch."

"Why didn't you wake us?"

"He looked so peaceful and I don't think that he would want me to deprive you all of your sleep. Imagine the telling off I would get from him. It wouldn't have been what he wanted."

Leon accepted that.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, before the others began to wake. After a hurried breakfast they broke up into pairs and went their separate ways to find the citizens of Camelot.

It all passed in a bit of a blur for Merlin as he was still mourning his mother and Gaius. They found scattered groups of knights and commoners and they eagerly joined when they saw the Arthur was still alive. They decided that they should stay where they were and not come to their camp in case Morgana discovered them. When they returned at dusk, Merlin and Arthur found that the others had had equal success. They had at least a couple thousand men willing to fight.

As Arthur began planning, Merlin sat on the edge of the clearing, thinking. Then without realizing it, he let the emotions that he had so carefully concealed break loose and began to silently cry.

_This was all his fault._

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><p><strong>Sorry for all the Gaius fans out there but I sort of wish that something would happen to Gaius in the actual show. Not kill him, but he goes away or something. Anyway, reviews are always appreciated and the next chapter will be up soon as it's already written. <strong>

**There is a poll up on my profile on how you want Merlin to reveal his magic. Memories or a display of magic and then his memories. Please vote!  
><strong>


	4. Chapter 4

**Ok sorry about the very, very late update, but I thought that this chapter was already posted but apparently not. I only found out that it wasn't today when I was reading all my stories checking for spelling mistakes. Sorry once again.**

**This is where Arthur finally finds out. Hope you like it.**

**Disclaimer: Merlin does not belong to me, but the story that I wrote does.**

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><p>"It's all my fault." Came a small voice in the shadows that Arthur recognized as Merlin's. He was obviously crying and didn't want anyone to notice. He was doing a very bad job of it too. All the knights stopped what they were doing and turned towards the sound. Merlin was twenty paces away, huddled against a fallen log and shivering.<p>

"It's all my fault." He said again. Gwen wandered over to the servant, followed by the others. Merlin didn't see to notice that they were all standing around him, watching and waiting for an explanation.

"It's all my fault."

"Merlin." Arthur finally ventured to speak. The manservant said nothing. "What's your fault? Nothing that is happening was caused by you." It didn't seem to comfort him. "Morgana made her choice and she choose the side of evil. You didn't make her do that." What Merlin said next took them all by surprise.

"It _is _my fault Arthur. I poisoned her." He ignored the gasp of shock from Gwen and continued "It was when the castle was falling under Morgause's sleeping spell and we went to investigate reports that the Knights of Medhir had been reawakened. Morgana was the only one who was awake when we returned. I went to Gaius's chambers and discovered that Morgana was the source of the enchantment and that to stop it, I had to kill her." Here Merlin stiffled a sob.

"When we were locked in the Throne Room and you left to fight the Knights, I put hemlock in the water skin and practically begged her to drink it. She did. I hated it. I still considered her as my friend and she was dying in my arms. Morgause came into the room and realized what I had done. I traded her the name of the poison in return that she stop the knights. Then Morgause took her away and everyone thought that she had been kidnapped. When she came back she hated me and tried to kill me on several occasions. I made her turn bad. I could have helped her but I didn't. It's all my fault."

Everyone was silent before Gwaine tried to lighten the mood.

"Well now that we know that Merlin is capable of killing Morgana, I think that we should get something to drink and…"

"Shut up, Gwaine" Elyan hissed in his ear.

"Merlin, even if it is your fault, which I highly doubt, you don't have to solve it on your own. We're going to do stop her together." Arthur replied. Merlin looked up at him and gave a small smile before turning away again.

"Thanks, but it is my problem and mine alone."

"Merlin, whatever it is tell us. We can help you."

"No one can help me. No one can understand."

"Then help us to." Came the persistent reply. Merlin finally got up and walked a short distance before replying.

"You know what it feels like to have a destiny, Arthur. Destiny is a troublesome thing. You feel trapped. Like your whole life is being planned out for you and you've got no control over anything and sometimes you don't even know if a destiny decided is really the best thing at all." He quoted from what he had said to Arthur when he had been forced to marry Princess Elena.

"I know how it feels Arthur. I understand. You are the Once and Future King. Everyone knows that. But do you know who I am. Do any of you. No. Nobody does. I also have a destiny, Arthur. A destiny as great as yours, but no one knows. I have no one to confide in because they're all dead. Freya, Will, my mother, my father, Lancelot, Gaius." His voice broke slightly.

"They're all dead because of me and my destiny. Perhaps if I had told Morgana about it, it would have stopped her from being who she became." He turned to face them for the first time since he had stood up. "But I didn't, and the problems mine."

They all saw a change in the servant. Where there had once been a servant who had talked about everything and anything and always had a goofy smile to brighten the day. Now there was an older, wiser Merlin who carried a great burden on his shoulders. His eyes, once so joyful and content, seemed sadder and filled with knowledge.

"What destiny, Merlin?" Gwaine asked, suddenly serious. Immediately Merlin began to look scared and torn between telling them or not. He kept shooting terrified glances at Arthur and Sir Leon. Finally he seemed to come to a decision.

"Very well, but I ask you not to judge me too quickly. Remember what you were born as. A prince, a commoner, a noble or" He managed a weak smile in Gwaine's direction. "in your case Gwaine, a drunk."

"Hey!" There was some sniggering at Gwaine's indignant reply.

Merlin observed them from a distance. They were having fun now but would he enjoy their company after he showed them who he truly was.

"Merlin. Are you going to tell us about your destiny or what because I'd like something to drink before you start." Gwaine said. Merlin's eyes flashed gold and the jug of ale that had lain by the fire was suddenly in Gwaine's hands. The others looked from Merlin to Gwaine and back again. Arthur was already on his feet with a sword in his hands.

"You can do magic." Merlin merely nodded and seemed unfazed that Arthur could kill him at any moment. Gwaine wasn't in the least surprised, instead he raised the jug to Merlin and said. "Thanks mate." And he took a long swig. Merlin smiled at them.

"Now you know my secret. Now you will know my destiny."

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><p>Arthur felt like the world was collapsing around him, when he saw Merlin's eyes flash gold and a jug of ale coming to rest in Gwaine's hand. He pulled out his sword and finally found his voice.<p>

"You can do magic." He said. Merlin just nodded.

"Thanks mate." Came Gwaine's voice and Merlin smiled for a fraction of a second before returning his gaze on Arthur.

"Now you know my secret. Now you will know my destiny."

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><p><strong>Merlin is going to show them his memories next chapter. Anyway I probably won't be able to update soon because my parents are dragging me off somewhere for a couple of days. Reviews? Pleeassssse….<strong>

**P.S. I have a poll up on my profile about what kind of story you want me to write next. Please vote.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Sorry, sorry, sorry about leaving this story hanging for so long! I have never written something that deals with the post-reveal and all the emotions and so this was really hard. Also I couldn't decide on how to write the memories that Merlin shows the others and I wanted to make it perfect! Anyway, I'm back and you guys can all thank someone for the inspiring review that made me pick myself out of my laziness and actually write something that I'm pleased with! Big round of applause for XxMerlingirlxx! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin**

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><p>Arthur felt like the world was collapsing around him, when he saw Merlin's eyes flash gold and a jug of ale coming to rest in Gwaine's hand. He pulled out his sword and finally found his voice. It came out rough and gravely, as if unused for centuries.<p>

"You can do magic." He said. His manservant, no _former_ manservant just nodded.

"Thanks mate." Came Gwaine's voice and Merlin smiled.

"Now you know my secret. Now you will know my destiny."

Suddenly images came flickering in his mind. He still had a sense of his surroundings and that he was sitting on a log in the middle of the forest, but he was mainly focused on these images, these memories.

He found himself in a small but neatly kept hut. A small fire pit lay in the center and a bed at the far corner. There was also a wooden crib and inside, Arthur found himself looking at a baby. He had a mop of black hair and bright blue eyes. It was Merlin.

Arthur then noticed that his eyes turned gold and that a bucket of water that was tucked away in the corner began to rise and drift towards the lit fire. Suddenly the door opened and in came a younger Hunith. She dropped what she was carrying as soon as she saw what her child was doing and watched in fascination as the bucket began to tip and spill it's contents, dousing the fire. The young Merlin giggled.

The memory faded away to an older Merlin and another person. There was a fire in one of the houses and two boys were trapped inside. The smoke was growing denser and threatened to kill them both. Suddenly there seemed to be a small area surrounding the boys that didn't allow the smoke to penetrate. The boys ran and made it out alive just before the building collapsed. The other blond boy was looking at Merlin in a peculiar way before giving a smile. He had accepted Merlin's magic.

Next, it showed Merlin leaving home. He had been bundled off in hurry and didn't have much with him, except the clothes on his back and a couple of possessions. He walked for a couple of days, through forests and around mountains before arriving in Camelot. Merlin stared around in wonder at the people and things that surrounded him. He made his way to Gaius's chambers after asking for directions from a guard. Gaius fell off the balcony as Merlin entered and he used magic to slow down time and save the physician.

Everything else sped up until the images were almost a blur. Golden eyes were clear though and Arthur began to discover just how often the illegal practice of magic had been used under his very nose. There were those incidents where a sword was sharpening itself or boots were being wiped and polished without anyone physically doing it but the ones that Arthur cared the most about were those where everything would have gone wrong if not for Merlin's intervention.

Arthur watched everything with wide eyes. He could feel all the pain and sorrow that Merlin had had to deal with, along with the fear that one day, his magic would be revealed when destiny wasn't ready and that his life and the lives of those he cared about would be in jeopardy.

Arthur realized that Merlin had suffered had lost many people in a short while. People he cared about that had perished and could either have saved or wouldn't have died in the first place if it hadn't been for the law that his father had made. He recognized Merlin's childhood friend that had died to save the life of a king he hated and take the blame so that Merlin wouldn't be punished and Arthur now hated himself for not feeling any remorse or guilt at the way he had treated the village. Freya, the cursed girl seemed nice enough and didn't deserve the pain that had haunted her for the better part of her short life. Merlin didn't deserve the pain of losing a loved one either. The Dragonlord. How Arthur wished that he could have gone back and changed what had happened so that Merlin would actually have a father, even if the time that he would have was extended by only a day or two. The words that Arthur had spoken as Merlin was preparing him for the battle with the dragon were the thing that, if it was possible, Arthur would go back and not say anything to the servant. Lancelot was next. Arthur still couldn't forgive him for the kiss that night before his wedding to Gwen, but he couldn't fault the courage that it had taken for the man to willingly give his life for the population of Camelot and to stop anyone else from doing what he did.

There were those moments when Arthur winced at what he or his father had done and at what he had said, and he could see the disappointment clearly written in Merlin's eyes.

There were times during Merlin's show that Arthur truly feared for the boy's life. He never realized just how close he had come to losing one of the only people that he truly cared about and hadn't even noticed. The incident with the serkets was fresh in the king's mind. Merlin had been poisoned and Arthur hadn't even thought for a moment that something was wrong.

The one thing that hadn't changed about his servant was the selfless loyalty, the heroic actions that should have killed him and yet he managed to pull through and live to smile that goofy grin of his and to get pelted by goblets and other miscellaneous objects. Why should someone with such power not want to get back at the people who made their life so difficult and could have them killed without a second glance? Arthur didn't think that he deserved someone like that, especially not one who had managed to weasel their way deep into the king's heart.

The revelations that the scenes and memories brought up were shocking and Arthur didn't know how he hadn't noticed the obvious use of magic right under his nose. He also hadn't realized the depth of Merlin's pain and how far it ran. The boy had suffered much for his age and Arthur now understood that there was hidden turmoil under the cheerful smile and the bright mysterious eyes.

When he finally recognized that the old sorcerer with the long greying beard and the red garments was actually Merlin, he found it difficult to be angry with his friend. He should have been. He should have felt the rage and desperation to skewer the magician on the end of his sword, and watch as the blood and life dripped out and away. But he found that no matter what he had felt at the moment of his father's death, he couldn't bring those emotions in to play now. Maybe it was the fact that he had discovered all that Merlin had done for him, good and bad. Maybe he had already forgiven the servant for lying all these years and trusted his word even more then before. Maybe it was the speech that Gaius had given him after the old man had been abducted and tortured that made Arthur reluctant to blame his friend. What ever it was, Arthur felt a bit more at peace with his father's death after finding out that his friend had truly regretted the deed that he had performed.

The rest was a bit of a blur for Arthur. He watched as all those close calls that he had had, were thwarted by his bumbling manservant with his hidden gift. He watched as Morgana's worst fear came true in the form of his aged manservant and as the fights and battles, both physical and mental, took place. He watched as the incident with Gwen and Lancelot happened and realized that he hadn't truly forgiven both of them and that it wasn't of their own free will. He watched as all the events that had taken place over the previous weeks were replayed and the secrets that had occurred were thrown into the light and unveiled.

"I'm sorry Gaius. I wish that I could save you. I'm going to tell Arthur about my gift soon and I wish that you could be there. Goodbye Gaius." The words echoed through Arthur's head and he barely had time to register what had been said when he felt a tug at his entire body and his eyes were forced open. The king blinked a few ties to clear his vision and to stop his eyes from watering. The trees came into focus, followed closely by the stars, clouds and moon silhouetted against the night sky. Finally he turned his head to look at the others. Arthur found that he had completely forgotten that they had also been allowed the glimpse into Merlin's life. Gwen was staring at the ground, eyes wide and tear tracks running down her cheeks. Gwaine was taking it pretty calmly, gulping down the ale, Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed. The others were just watching for their king's reaction with various degrees of surprise and shock written on their faces. Arthur then realized that the object that was filling all their thoughts wasn't present.

A piece of red fabric was fluttering, pinned beneath a rock. Arthur immediately recognized it as Merlin's neckerchief. He got up and grabbed it, turning it over several times as he tried to grasp what it meant. Merlin would never leave that scarf behind unless it was on purpose or he wanted to. As Arthur fingered it for a few seconds, black letters began to appear and form a single word.

Goodbye.

Arthur's brain didn't fully comprehend the meaning of the message until a voice began to echo throughout the forest and sky. There was no emotion and no unnecessary words. It was sharp and to the point.

"Meet your destiny by the old oak Morgana. You know who I am."

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><p><strong>I hope that you guys enjoyed this chapter after me being away for six months. I hope that Arthur's reaction was good enough for you guys and that he wasn't too OOC. There will probably be one or two more chapters and then the story is finished. In the meantime, please REVIEW! <strong>


	6. Chapter 6

**So I'm thinking that this will be the last chapter for this story and then I'm off to finish/start others! Hope that you've enjoyed what I've written and a big thanks to all who stuck with me since the beginning.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin**

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><p>Merlin lay there, soaked in his own blood, trying to recover any strength that he could to heal himself. He was sure that he had at least three broken ribs, one punctured lung, the bones in his left hand were probably all broken and he had gashes all over his body. Cutting deeply from his ear to his chin and narrowly missing his left eye, ran three parallel wounds. Merlin could taste the blood as his body was wracked with another cough attempting to expel the liquid from his lungs. The warlock was in constant pain but after all that he had been through in his short life, the agony was ignored.<p>

Summoning up what little strength he had regained, Merlin set about healing his hand and chest, though mostly he just stopped the pain and made sure that he wouldn't drop dead from his injuries. It wasn't long before he was exhausted once again and had to stop.

Fire crackled just behind the warlock, reminding Merlin that the woods were ablaze and that he hadn't tried to stop it. Lifting his head just slightly, Merlin could see the flames licking at the sky as they climbed higher up the old oak tree. It was beginning to lean violently, the inferno having done its job at weakening the tree to the point of it collapsing. Feeling his eyes blaze gold and the last of his energy leave, Merlin fell in to unconsciousness, but not before he heard the violent shrieks and screams from a lady dressed all in black as she erupted into flames.

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><p>Arthur wasn't sure what had made him rush after Merlin when he heard the message echo through the night sky. Something told him that he should still be furious at the lies that his servant had told him, the secrets he had hidden. And yet… Merlin was obviously going to meet Morgana, and after everything that Arthur had seen and all the hatred that had happened between the two sorcerers, Arthur couldn't just abandon the most loyal person he had met.<p>

The trees seemed to move out of the way to let him pass and roots didn't dare to trip him up. It felt as if he was floating through the air, nothing could stop him and nothing would. The others were blundering around behind him, trying to keep up to their king. Arthur didn't give a second thought as to whether they would manage to follow him or if they would lose sight of him in the shadows of the forest.

He was so deeply lost in thought that he barely noticed when a flaming tree fell just in front of him. Startled, Arthur looked up and took stock of his situation. There was a wall of fire at least three times his height and growing fast. The king backed up a little and realized that the flames were running in a perfect curve both to his left and right. Assuming that the blaze continued until it formed a ring and that Merlin and Morgana were inside, Arthur began to run alongside the heat, trying to find an opening. What appeared next took what little breath was left in Arthur's lungs.

The fire had stopped just as abruptly as it had appeared. Arthur's first assumption was correct. The flames did indeed make a circle that surrounded a large clearing. There was a gap in the inferno that was about twenty paces large. The flames seemed to make an arch over the ground that hadn't been burnt, they were almost touching. The tree tops were barely visible through the smoke, neither was the night sky. There was something almost mystical and beautiful about the area even if the devastation that was happening was immense. Arthur took it all in at a glance before his gaze rested on the small shadow that was lying in the center of the blaze. A shadow in the shape of his manservant.

Arthur didn't remember much after that. It was all a blur. He didn't remember when the others had appeared, he didn't remember when Leon had found the charred remains of his traitorous half-sister, he didn't even remember when they had all returned to Camelot. All that Arthur could focus on was the fact that Merlin wasn't who he had always thought he'd been. Merlin was this all powerful sorcerer that had spent a good six years in service to a prince and then king who hated and prosecuted his kind. Arthur still had trouble wrapping his head around that fact.

He had already forgiven Gwen and had proposed a second time, he had ordered the repairs and they were well underway, he had made dozens of choices and yet he couldn't figure out what to do with Merlin. There was no chance that his servant would be executed or banished, but Arthur felt that Merlin deserved a punishment for all the lies he had told and all the secrets he had kept. Nothing too harsh of course, but something that the boy would never forget. And Arthur knew exactly what that would be.

The king was aroused from his thoughts by a knock at the door. He responded automatically with a bored 'enter'.

"Sire. Merlin has awoken." It was Sir Leon. He was about to say more, but Arthur stopped him by pushing past him and into the corridors. He walked as fast as he could whilst retaining some dignity all the way to what had been Gaius's chambers not stopping except to order Leon to go and fetch something from vaults. He entered without knocking.

Gwen was sitting next to the bed, helping the barely conscious boy in it spoon porridge in to his mouth. It was pathetic sight. The normally bright and cheerful boy that was apparently the most powerful man in Albion, was struggling with a kitchen utensil, head and body covered in blood soaked bandages.

At the sound of the door slamming, both servants looked up at him in surprise. They obviously hadn't expected him to come so soon. Gwen stood up and curtsied before walking past him, leaving the two alone. She gave his arm a light squeeze as she did so. Arthur slowly walked over and took her place at Merlin's side. Those deep blue eyes gazed up at him, filled with a wisdom and compassion that Arthur rarely saw in anyone's eyes.

The king knew that this man had done more for him and the kingdom, than anyone else, himself included. He knew what this man could do if desire so dictated. He could flood cities, burn forests, flatten mountains and destroy anything if he so wished. There was so much power trapped inside the servant's body that it would be easy. But when Arthur looked, really looked, into the boy's eyes, he saw just that. A boy. A boy that had been forced to grow up faster and see horrors that he should never have seen, in order to do a man's job. Arthur had never realized what his manservant had been through, just so that he could fulfill the prophecy that had been for told for centuries.

"Arthur…" Merlin's voice broke through his thoughts. He sounded pained and Arthur could see why. He had accidently grabbed on to Merlin's injured hand and was squeezing it harder than he should have. He relaxed his grip immediately and looked bashfully down at the floor.

"What are you going to do…" The servant asked.

"Well… I have devised a punishment for you…" Arthur watched as the servants face fell slightly before he masked his emotions. "It's something that I hope you won't forget in a long time." The door opened and Leon's face was visible as he stepped out from the shadows. Arthur stood up and took the object from the knight's hands before dismissing him.

Turning back to Merlin, Arthur gently grabbed his uninjured hand and placed the small item in the boy's palm. He stepped back and allowed Merlin to examine it before speaking.

"Do you know what it is?" Merlin shook his head. "It's a seal that has belonged to all Court Sorcerers of Camelot for centuries." Ignoring Merlin's bug-eyed look, Arthur continued. "It's yours now Merlin. The first meeting is in two days time and after that you are to be present at all formal and informal gatherings. I hope that this is punishment enough for all the secrets you've kept over the years Merlin." Arthur smiled one last time before he took his leave.

"And Merlin…" The boy looked up at him with tear-filled eyes. "The stables need cleaning. Don't forget about the poor horses!"

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><p><strong>The End<strong>

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